The Delaware State Fair is more than just the iconic Ferris wheel that towers over the grounds each year. University of Delaware Cooperative Extension puts a lot of heart and soul into it through various activities, livestock demonstrations and public outreach.

UD at the fair

Article by Katie Peikes Photos by Jackie Czachorowski July 20, 2026

2026 State Fair puts Cooperative Extension, UD in the spotlight as it celebrates America’s 250th birthday

The Delaware State Fair is back! The First State tradition is now in its 107th year and this year will celebrate America’s 250th birthday through its theme. The University of Delaware always has a strong presence at the state fair, which this year runs July 23-Aug. 1. UD President Laura Carlson will tour the fair for Governor’s Day and experience all it has to offer. UD Government Relations hosts a sponsorship and admissions table next to the Grange building.

UD’s largest presence at the fair is seen through UD Cooperative Extension’s interactive exhibits and 4-H youth showcases. As UD gears up for the fair, we interviewed Cooperative Extension staff about what to expect.

UD Cooperative Extension is the outreach arm of the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources that works to bring University research and knowledge directly to Delaware’s general public. What are some of Extension’s highlights at the fair?

Jenn Volk, associate director of Cooperative Extension: At the exhibit we share with Delaware State University in the Ag Commodities Building, Extension personnel will be on site to answer questions that span our areas of expertise, including agriculture, gardening, youth development, and health and well-being. Visitors can play trivia to learn about resources and win prizes. Master Gardeners will answer lawn and garden questions and show off a demonstration garden they created. We will show off 4-H youth arts and crafts, photography, educational displays, and watch Delaware youth compete in a variety of competitions, such as public speaking. Extension personnel will be helping 4-H youth get ready as they compete in livestock showing competitions. And of course, UDairy Creamery will have its MooMobile on site, serving its delicious ice cream. You can check out the fair’s Daily Guide to learn more about 4-H contests.

Why is the Delaware State Fair such an important event for Cooperative Extension and UD as a whole?

Volk: The Delaware State Fair showcases what Cooperative Extension does all year long — extend knowledge and change lives. The fair is a chance for our 4-H youth to show off what they have learned and accomplished through our afterschool and county clubs and camps. Many of our Extension staff help teach and train not only 4-H youth, but the FFA students who also present and compete at the Delaware State Fair. We have agents who officiate events, judge contests, tend to animals, and staff exhibits every day, morning, noon, and night. And this is a chance for us to connect with Delawareans — those we know well and those who are just learning of us for the first time — and tell them about who we are, what we do, and how we can help them with their crops, yards, families,and businesses.

Susan Truehart Garey, statewide livestock agent and Kent County Cooperative Extension director: The fair is a highly visible event. We have the Extension booth in the Department of Ag Building, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. So many of our staff have roles that have fed into the Delaware State Fair, whether it's agronomy training that our agricultural agents have performed for our agroscience kids, or several of us who have offered critical feedback leading up to the state fair through training sessions that we’ve offered. So many of our Extension staff are resources. They serve as judges for a lot of contests, events, and exhibits. So we play critical roles, but a lot of it is behind-the-scenes that people might not even realize. We also have a visible presence in the Delaware Building and the UDairy Creamery Moo Mobile. But there is a lot of other individuals’ time and expertise from Cooperative Extension that go into the Delaware State Fair that folks might not even realize or think about.

Livestock showcases are always a highlight at the Delaware State Fair.

What is the most common question you get from Delawareans at the fair, and what’s your answer?

Volk: Almost every year, someone asks me what is plaguing a vegetable in their garden or a tree in their yard. That is NOT my area of expertise, so I walk them right over to the Master Gardeners or tell them how to submit a sample or photo to us for diagnosis.

If someone has never interacted with Cooperative Extension before, what would you encourage them to explore at the fair?

Volk: They should definitely visit our joint exhibit with Delaware State University. That is the best way to get a crash course in what we do. They can take home a brochure and directory of all of our staff so they can follow up with us later. Plus, they will get a little prize for spending time with us at our booth!

As someone who is on-site at the fair every single year, what do you most look forward to?

Truehart Garey: Obviously for me, the animals are the big thing, and watching animals and kids. The fair features 4-H youth showing off livestock projects, including dairy and beef cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. For me, there is nothing more magical than youth development done through livestock projects. There is no better way to teach kids to be responsible and empathetic, and have patience and resilience, and all of those soft skills that are so important to be successful in life. So for me, the magic occurs in the barn, seeing kids be challenged and be successful. There are so many variables in a livestock project that are out of even our control.

One of the many animals you will see at the Delaware State Fair.

What kinds of conversations do you hope to have with visitors at the fair, whether they’re prospective students, alumni, parents or lifelong Delawareans?

Volk: Definitely, the main thing I try to convey during the fair is that we are here to help. If you have questions, we have answers, and if we don’t know the answer, we have an amazing network and know who to ask to get you the information you need.

If someone only knows the fair for the rides and fried food, what would surprise them about UD’s presence there?

Truehart Garey: For a lot of us, the fair is year-round. The state fair itself is the showcase, but the preparation, the teaching and training happens all year. The public only thinks about the fair when the Ferris wheel is set up, the food trucks are out and the animals are in the barns. But for a lot of us in Extension, 4-H or on the fair board, it’s a year-round process.

What are the top can’t-miss things at the fair?

Truehart Garey: For me, it's certainly the livestock shows and the Livestock Extravaganza. The extravaganza is pretty exciting. We pick all the champion market animals, and we take the champion showmen from each livestock species, and they compete in what we call the round robin. They take a turn showing four different types of livestock, and our judges pick the ultimate overall showman out of all of those four. For our livestock youth, that’s the big dance, the World Series, the Super Bowl of livestock shows in Delaware. That’s Tuesday night of fair week. Otherwise, I always find it fun to venture out with my family. We choose a new fried food each year to try. That’s one of our traditions. Also, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Building has some awesome displays and touch tanks. And there's some new free grounds entertainment this year as well.

Volk: It really depends on what your interests are! I love visiting with the animals and getting ice cream, personally. When it’s super hot out, that is the perfect time to stroll through the 4-H exhibit building because it always feels nice and cool in there and you can see all of the cool things the kids made to display.

If the next generation looks back 250 years from now, on America’s 500th anniversary, what do you hope they will see universities like UD did for their communities?

Volk: I hope the next generation will see that we have been there all along the way. When the problems our communities face change, we adapt and figure out how best to identify research needs and develop solutions together. We aren’t here to solve problems that don’t exist and don’t want to solve problems in a vacuum. Everything we do, we do with the community, with them as our guide.

Truehart Garey: I would hope, and even hope in my own career, that the next generation looks back and sees that we were an educational resource that really cared about their success. Whether that's a successful crop in the field, whether that’s a young person that turns 4-H project work into a career path or a business, I hope they see that we cared about people, families and our communities, and we did the best that we could to provide whatever kind of support was needed.